june gloom on 8/11/2008 at 03:23
(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDEAYgm0Dv8) Video that got her in trouble
It's from a Swedish-language documentary broadcast in Finland a couple days ago.
(
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200881107028) News article about the investigation
(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9ta9XKQXgE) The superintendant's response
Regardless of one's political views, I don't think there's ever an appropriate time for a teacher to verbally attack a 5th grader over the way the kid's parents vote. I've been having a bit of a kneejerk reaction to this because similar shit happened to me when I was in 4th grade way back when- I was pretty much peed on by student and teacher alike because I held the views of my parents. Because I was ten and didn't know better.
TBE on 8/11/2008 at 03:48
This video was made in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Neighboring, Fort Bragg, only one of the largest military installations on the East Coast. The local people around this base never seemed too friendly to me while I was there for over 2 years. I saw the hatred in that woman's eyes for military and their children while she was talking on this video. Typical knee-jerk reaction in my eyes from natives of that area. If my child came home and told me about a teacher like this, the teacher would be out on his or her ass without a job. The superintendent's response was right when he said that while a discussion about the race and the candidates was ok, but the browbeating and harshness at the opposition's vote isn't appropriate.
BEAR on 8/11/2008 at 04:08
Why does the article and the video reference Asheville if this didn't happen in Asheville?
june gloom on 8/11/2008 at 04:56
Because of a misunderstanding, the teacher used to teach in Asheville until 2004.
Kolya on 8/11/2008 at 06:38
So telling the kid the truth is inappropriate behaviour? How is wanting to pull out of Iraq not "valuing the sacrifices" of the military there?
Don't get me wrong, I think she pulled it off in a bad way, she shouldn't have exposed the kid like this. But Kathy still learned an important lesson: If you are holding an isolated view, you should be ready to defend it. C'est la vie.
june gloom on 8/11/2008 at 07:06
An isolated view, yes, but one she was too young to know how to defend. I mean come on, she's a 5th grader, the only thing kids that age really know is Pokemon. If that teacher had given that sort of shit to, say, even a high schooler, the high schooler would have some half-formed ability of defending his opinion, but when you're that young your opinion is pretty much given to you by your parents.
This teacher was attacking a defenseless kid. There's no excuse for that. "Telling her the truth" isn't enough.
Nuth on 8/11/2008 at 09:24
And that's what goes on when she knows she's being recorded. Wonder what the hell she's doing when there's not a camera in the room.
Kolya on 8/11/2008 at 09:29
They're not there to talk about Pokemon though. They're discussing current politics. How should she have handled this in your opinion?
Line up the facts and then say "Your opinion is as good as everyone elses."?
I think she was challenging Kathy to come out with some explanation on her choice, but it wasn't so bad. She didn't accept blind Obama followers either.
Nuth on 8/11/2008 at 09:44
She ridiculed the McCain kids the moment they voiced who they were for. If the teacher wasn't capable of having a discussion of the election that wasn't an indoctrination session, she shouldn't have been discussing it at all.
BEAR on 8/11/2008 at 15:19
A little bit of discomfort is not a bad thing. Asking the kids who they support, and then why, can be helpful to them in the long run. When they have a hard time being able to support their decision, it could make them just a little embarrassed and motivate them to explore more on their own, but its important to be totally unbiased in that (the kids who said Obama clearly would be as ignorant as those who supported McCain).
A good teacher would just play devils advocate to whatever the child supports, with "oh, so you think this, but what about this?". Her manor was really unacceptable as well, all around she should stay out of politics if she's going to be a bitch about it.
